Peters may pop bubbly twice

Trainer James Peters will be a busy man at the races on Aug 4.

Of course, we will hear no complaints from the debonair Englishman as it could also mean a profitable meeting for the yard and his connections.

Peters has entered 10 runners for the 10-race programme andthey are spread over eight events.

Since there is work to be done, it seems to have already begun.

Some of Peters’ horses were out on the training track on the morningof July 31 and two, in particular, stood out.

Legend Of Niagara – formerly with Mahadi Taib – was one of them. With race rider Krisna Thangamani in the saddle, he ran out the 600m in 39.2sec.

Then, in a separate gallop, Forest Gold covered the same trip in41.5 – leaving little to the imagination.

A winner of one race from seven starts, Legend Of Niagara will trot into Race 10 on the back of two good trials over 1,000m.

Both times, he finished second but that last one on July 25, in particular, was splendid.

Again partnered by Krisna, he clocked an excellent time of 59.93sec when second to Istataba, whose rating of 76 overshadowed Legend Of Niagara’s 50.

Then again, and in his defence, the New Zealand-bred gelding has been sparingly raced and has hardly had time to build on the numbers.

Since posting that win over the 1,400m on Dec 30, 2023, the son of Niagara has raced just twice in 2024 – and both times, his then-trainer Mahadi would have had few excuses.

As a four-year-old, he moved over to Peters’yard and this sprint coming up on Aug 4 will be his first outing as a five-year-old – horses foaled in the Southern Hemisphere turn a year older on Aug 1 – under his new conditioner.

Will it be a winning one? Well, it just might as Legend Of Niagara gets into that 1,200m Class 4 sprint with just 50kg on his back.

What about Peters’ other hopeful, Forest Gold?

Well, he is also a one-time winner but, unlike Legend Of Niagara, his box at Peters’ yard has been his home since he began racing on Aug 13, 2023.

Numerous trials and some seven races later, Forest Gold experienced what it was like to be applauded when trotting into the winner’s enclosure.

That was on Feb 11 – Fortune Bowl Day – and Forest Gold ran home to take the gold in a Maiden 1,400m event on turf.

Guess who had to settle for the silver medal? The aptly-named Silver Warrior.

A handsome chestnut by Star Witness, Forest Gold is owned by the Gold Stable, and he will see action in Race 9. The race will be run over the mile on turf – which suits the running style of Forest Gold.

Just turned four, the Australian-bred has not done anything special at his recent starts that could inspire confidence.

But his third to Split Second four runs back, in a Class 5 2,000m event on April 27, deserves mention.

Always up with the pace, under jockey Charles Perkins, Forest Gold hugged the rails on settling and ran on well for third behind Split Second and Combustion.

His work going into the Aug 4 assignment has been good and, if he gets some favours – like an unimpeded passage – he could be the one charging home at the business end of things.

Outside of Peters’ dashing duo, another one who tossed in a good workout on the training track was Smart One. From Mahadi Taib’s yard, he ran the 600m in 39.9.

Down to contest Race 7, Smart One might be sent off at short odds. After all, his win two starts back on June 9 was more than impressive.

Then with trainer David Kok, he had Bernardo Pinheiro doing the steering when he took the lead at the jump-off and never handed it back. At the end of that Class 5 1,200m contest on the Polytrack, he had run away to an almost five-lengthwin.

Racegoerstook notice and packed him off as the $22 second pick at his next start on July 7.

He never landed a punch and, after having had to endure a roughpassage, he ended up a well-beaten eighth in that race won by Windfall.

Forget that disastrous outing. The son of Snitzel is better than that. We saw evidence of just how smart he could be when, at the trials on July 23,he led from go to whoa, eventually winning that hit-out by 1½ lengths.

Smart One, who will have Pinheiro aboard again, has a date with the starter in that Class 5 1,200m race on the Polytrack.

It is not going to be easy but you can be sure that you will get a good run for your money.

brian@sph.com.sg